Families Demand Reckoning Over Glasgow Superhospital Failures
Families of patients treated at Scotland's flagship superhospital, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow, are calling for health board bosses to "face a reckoning" amid allegations of being "lied to, demeaned and smeared". The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has been investigating the design and construction of the QEUH campus, with closing submissions revealing significant admissions from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC).
Admissions of Premature Opening and Infection Links
In its closing statements, NHSGGC acknowledged that pressure was applied to open the hospital on time and on budget in 2015, and it is now clear the facility "opened too early" and "was not ready". The health board also admitted, on the balance of probabilities, there was a causal connection between some patient infections and the hospital environment, particularly the water system. However, it added that there was "no definite link" between infections and the water system, offering a "sincere and unreserved apology" to affected patients and families while asserting the hospitals are safe today.
Families' Outcry Over Deceit and Cover-Up
Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, representing the majority of affected families, issued a powerful statement on their behalf. It read: "We were all lied to by GGCH. We were all disbelieved by GGCH. We were all demeaned and smeared by GGCH. We have all had our families devastated and our lives traumatised by GGCH." The statement further condemned the "level of deceit and conniving cowardice" displayed by the health board during the scandal. Families urged political leaders to act now, paying tribute to clinicians who tried to speak out but were reportedly silenced, and demanding accountability for those who presided over the incompetence and cover-up.
Inquiry Context and Political Responses
The inquiry, which also examines the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, was launched following deaths linked to infections, including that of 10-year-old Milly Main in 2017. Scottish Labour is calling for the release of all documents related to the hospital's opening, while the Scottish Conservatives are pushing for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make a personal statement to Holyrood. First Minister John Swinney and Health Secretary Neil Gray have emphasised providing all relevant evidence to the inquiry, awaiting its conclusions to address lessons learned.
NHSGGC stated that ensuring patient safety is a key priority, with comprehensive steps taken to address past building defects and a maintenance programme in place. The inquiry continues to hear closing statements, with families seeking justice and systemic change in healthcare oversight.
